Collapsible lapboard for card players



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- July 24, 1923.- mmm BQW. ALPINER COLLAPSIBLE LAPBOARD FOR CARD PLAY-ERS Filed May 13, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 //vlmm- (0 i 4 l me/wrom wmpm@ Patented duly 24, 1923.

(rraN stra BENJAMIN W. ALPINER, 0F KANKAKEE, IlJl'JINOIS.

p COLLAPSIBLE LAPBOARD FOR- CRD PLAYERS.

Application filed May 13,

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, BENJAMIN TVV. AL- rrNnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at 222 So. East Avenue, Kankakee, in the `county of Kankakee and State of Illinois, havev invented certain new and useful improvements in Collapsible Lapboards for Card Players, of which the following is a specification. v

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in lap-boards for card players.

rPhe primary object of this invention is to provide a simple and economical device of this character adapted to be placed on the lap of the player to prevent any cards from falling on the floor.

A further object of my invention is to provide a lap-board which is collapsible and may be folded into very compact form during transportation or when not in use.

`With the foregoing and other objects in view that will appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.V

In the accompanying drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only and are therefore not drawn to scale Fig. l is a plan view of my improved lap-board, extended or ready for use.

F ig. 2 is a horizontal section.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. l is a transverse section, taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the end strips or slats.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the longitudinal strips or slats and Fig. T is a detail perspective view of the device collapsed or folded.

Referring to the drawings for a more particular description of the invention and in which drawings like parts are designated by like reference characters throughout the several views, the device comprises what may be termed a board l of leather, leatherette, cloth, canvas or other flexible material preferably formed from a single strip or sheet doubled centrally upon itself (see Fig. 4t) to form the top and bottom members 2 and 3, respectively. ln carrying out my invention, these members are stitched 1921. Serial No. 469,222.

together at equal intervals apart, by double rows of parallel stitching, as 1l, to provide the longitudinally disposed transversely spaced sleeves or pockets 5 adapted toy receive flat strips or slats 6 of wood, pasteboard` aluminum or other rigid or semiflexible material.

The board l is also provided at opposite ends with the transversely disposed sleeves or pockets 7 adapted to receive the strips or slats 8. rlhe ends of the top and bottom members of the board as well as the side edges 9 thereof, are stitched together, as at l0, ll and l2, respectively, the seam l2 not extending the full length of the board, whereby the adjacent ends of the sleeves or pockets are left open, as at le, to provide for the introduction and removal of the end strips or slats.

ln practice, to use the device, it is only necessary to unfold or extend the board from. the folded or collapsed position shown 1n Fig. 'T and insert the end strips or slats 8. lt will be noted that the end strips 8 not only provide the required rigidity at the ends of the board but hold the longitudinal strips 6 against longitudinal displacement.

By sewing the top and bottom members Q and 3 of the board together by double rows of parallel stitching, as shown, sufficient spaces are provided between the respective sleeves or pockets to permit folding of the device into very compact form, as illustrated in Fig. T, after first removing the end strips or slats 8. The use of my device will prevent any cardsthat are dropped by the player during the game from falling on the floor with the attendant annoyance, inconvenience and delay caused thereby.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, it is thought that the construction, operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extendcd explanation.

Having described my invention. what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A device of the character specified, comprising a lap-board formed of exible material and provided in its body portion with a pluralty of longitudinally disposed transversely spaced sleeves or pockets and at each end with a transversely disposed sleeve or pocket,strips of rigid or sem-flexible material arranged in said longitudinal sleeves or pockets and other similar strips arranged in said transverse sleeves, the inner edges 5 of the transverse strips fitting against the ends of the longitudinal strips and holding the latter against longitudinal displacement and the transverse sleeves orpockets being open at one end, to provide for the removal of the end strips preparatory to collapsing 10 orrfoldng the device.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

BENJAMIN 7. ALPINER. 

